Carbureter



G. MEZZATESTA.

CARBURETER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. I9IB l Patented Jan.13,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ISM 1 WTNESSES afm,

G. MEZZATESTA.

CARBURETER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY e. 19:8.

1,328, 180. y Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2-l UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEToE.

GASPARE MEZZATESTA, OF HAMPTON, VIRGINIA.

CARBURETER.

Application led May 6, 1918.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GASPARE MEZZATESTA, a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident of Hampton, (Langley Field, Royal Italian Flying Corps,) in the county of Elizabeth City and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Carbureter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to carbureters and has for an object the provision of an improved construction wherein the usual float now in common use has been eliminated while means have been provided which will supply the proper amount of gasolene or other fuel'as needed. l

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved carbureter especially adapted for use on airplanes and arranged with means whereby the carbureter will supply gasolene or other fuel from the supply tank whether the same is above or below the carbureter.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein the parts will automatically adjust themselves to supply a uniform mixture at comparatively low and at high speed as well as a uniform mixture at different elevations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carbureter which will work in all positions without fear of lire.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a carbureter embodying the invention, same being taken 'approximately on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through Fig. 1 on line 2-2.

Fig. 3 is a detail top plan view of a priming member embodying certain features of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through Fig. 5 on line 4 4.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a double carbureter embodying the invention shown in Fig.` 1.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view on a reduced scale of the carbureter shown in Fig. 1.

`Referring'to the accompanying drawing by numerals, 1 indicates a. supply pipe designed to be connected with a tank of gasolene or other suitable fuel designed to be carbureted and 2 indicates a throat which is to be connected to the engine, said throat accommodating the usual butterfly valve 3.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1,920. sum1 N9. 232,800.

This valve 'is operated by an arm 4 connected in any suitable manner with the valve, said arm having one or more projections 5 engaging a stop 6 extending from the throat member 2 whereby the movement of the valve 3 is limited to a full open or a full closed position. The throat member 2 is provided with an alined extension 7 hereinafter fully described, which alines with an extension 8 on the casing 9. The casing 9 alines with the throat member 2 and is connected therewith by any desired means.

Arranged in the casing 9 is a venturi or choker 10 positioned so that the smallest section of the passageway 11 is slightly below the top of the main gasolene discharge jet 12. The jet 12 is provided with a vertical bore 13 extending from the upper end downwardly as shown in Fig. 1, and merges into a restricted passageway 14 accommodating the end 15 of the needle valve 16, which needle valve may be formed integral with the hood or bell member 17. Extending upwardly from the bell member 17 is a pin 18 loosely fitting into a socket 19 in the guide 20. This socket is of suflicient length to allow for a sufficient upward movement of the needle valve 16 to produce a full valve opening whereupon it will prevent any further movement. A spring 21 surrounds the pin 18 and'acts against stop 20 and against the top of bell 17 for continually tending to hold the needle valve 16 against its seat and consequently passageway 14 closed. The passageway 14 opens into what may be termed a feed chamber 22 which may discharge through the passageway 14 or through an auxiliary passageway 23. A removable jet 24 is positioned in the transverse bar 25, said removable jet having a passageway 26 extending therethrough. The transverse bar 25 is preferably formed integral with the skirt 27 of the casing 9, and not only accommodates the auxiliary jet 24, but is provided with a passageway 23 and with an inlet passageway 28 which receives gasolene or other fuel from pipe 1. The main gasolene jet 12 is also preferably formed integral with the cross-bar 25. It will, of course, be understood that the crossbar 25 leaves an ample opening in the skirt 27 for the passage of air upwardly into the venturi 10 and thence into the throat member 2, and thence into the engine. A filtering device 29 is fitted around the base of the auxiliary jet 24 as shown in Fig. 1, said filtering device being constructed in any suitable manner, as for instance a rather fine wire mesh, and of such a length as to extend from the auxiliary jet 24.- to the top of the plug 30 which is threaded into the tubular projection 31. It will be observed that the tubular projection 31 is formed with a sufficiently large bore to provide `a space between the walls thereof and the filter 29 so that any foreign matter in the gasolene may drop down into member 31 and thereby not interfere with the free flow of the gasolene.

lVhen the engine is in operation the butterfly valve 3 is open and air will be drawn in through the skirt 27 and caused to pass through the venturi or choker 1() whereupon same will strike the bell 17 which will be raisedthereby` whereupon the valve 16 will be opened and a quantity of gasolene drawn through passageway 1-1. This gasolene will mix with the air as it passes through the venturi 10 so that a proper eX- plosive mixture will be provided. As the engine speeds up the flow of air through the venturi or choker 10 will increase in speed and although the speed of the air is increased the proportion of volume between the gasolene and the air remains unaltered. This is due to the eddy current of air in the recess under bell- 17, though the bell 17 and associate parts will not be moved as they are already in their full openk position. This eddy current is caused by the bell deflecting air so that there will be a flow of air toward the'jet 12 which will cause the iiow of fuel to be in proportion to the volume of air passing the butterfly valve 3. This reverse flow of air will act on the incoming air in order to produce a proper balance between the supply of air and the supply of fuel whereby the mixture is maintained substantially uniform. It will of course be noted that when the engine increases its speed the suction in the throat member 2 will be increased in proportion, and the speed of the air and pressure thereof willl increase and decrease with the speed of the motor. In order to produce a uniform mixture at all times the bell 17 is so positioned and shaped as to form a recess above the jet 12 whereby as the speed of the air increases in the venturi or choker a certain amount of eddy current or back flow of'air will be created so that the increase and 'decrease of the flow of gasolene will be in proportion to the volume of air and not to the speed thereof.

The extension 7 is provided with a diagonally arranged passagc-xway which has one end above the valve 3 when said valve is closed and the opposite end in communication with the chamber This chamber is closed atY the upper end by a screw or cap 34 having a socket 35 in which the pin 36 reciprocates. Pin 36 is provided with a pointed end 37 at the bottom, so that it will act as a needle valve, and a lug 38 rigidly secured thereto. or formed integral therewith, said lug acting as a stop for the spring 39 which spring acts on the lug and on the cap 34: for resiliently holding the valve upon its seat. A priming screw L10 is threaded into the extension 7, as shown particularly in Fie'. 2, said priming screw having a fiat extension il projecting below the stop 3S, whereby when said screw is rotated one edge of the fiattened portion 11 will engage the stop 38 and raise pin 36 and the valve 37 from its seat, whereby when the engine is turned over in starting gasolene will be drawn through passageway chamber ft2, jet 13, chamber 44, passageway 45, bore i6, chamber 33 andl passageway 32. The jet 43 is removable and is provided with a. passageway a7 extending therethrough whereby a supply of gasolene may freely pass to the chamber 33l and thence into the engine. The jets 2i and 43 are removable so that larger or smaller jets may be substituted according to the flow of fuel desired.

As shown in Fig. 2 an air inlet 48 is provided near the valve 37, said air inlet having a side'passageway 49 the opening of which is regulated by the valve member 50. The valve member 50 is provided with a spring 51 having an extensionI pressing against the lug 52 so asto lock the valve member in any adjusted position. It will be noted that the air entering through passageway 48 will become. carbureted and the mixture will then be introduced into the engine by the usual. suction of the engine. The priming screw l() is provided with a tilting handle or' lever 53 whichv may be connected with an adjusting rod extending to any convenient point whereby this priming screw may be tilted under special circumstances, as for instance when the carbureter is used on an airplane and the airplane is at a high altitude. Then the airplane is at a high altitude screw 10 is rotated for part of a turn so as to raise the valve 317 and;` thereby produce a suction or partial vacuum in chamber 33 which in turni acts on the gasol'ene in passageway 23 andv` chamber 22. The opening of the'valve will result in a resistance to the passage of gasolene through jet 12 while not allowing the gasolene to pass through passageway 32 as the suction in jet 12 is superior tothe suction in passageway 32 when the butterfly valve is fully open. vWhen the valve 37 is opened. against the action of -spring 39 while the butterfly valve 3 is open the suction of the engine will produce a suction andy rarefioation in passageway 23. This rarefieation in passageway 2.3. will act as a cometer-suction to the suction acting on the valve 15 whereby the result will be a leaner mixture.

The passageway 32, valve 37 and' associate l when the engine is being started lever 53 is rotated at the same time that the motor is turned over for starting. As soon -as the motor starts lever 53 is moved back to its former position, and since valve 37 remains open by the suction of the engine the motor will start easily even in cold weather. It will of course be understood that valve 3 is not a perfectly tight fit and suflicient air passes around said valve to mix with the air and gasolene in passageway 32 so as to provide a sufficient explosive mixture to keep the engine running slowly or running idle. When starting the engine the priming screw 40 is turned as just described and the engine turned over. As valve 3 is gradually opened the motor picks up so that more and more air will be admitted until the suction in the casing 10 is suiciently great to raise the valve 16 off its seat whereby gasolene will be supplied through jet 12. Vhen this occurs the rarefication in passageway 32 and the associate passageways will be reduced to such an extent as not to be capable of lifting any gasolene. As soon as the motor is started the priming screw 40 is allowed to go back to its former position.

The use of springs 21 and 39 results in the closing of the gasolene passageway when the engine stops whereby the danger of fire is eliminated when the engine stalls or backires. In addition these parts are arranged so that the gasolene is drawn into the engine through the action of vacuum or suction, which will allow the carbureter to be used with desirable results on airplanes even when the gasolene supply tank is below the carbureter, as the suction will lift the gasolene as it may be needed.

In starting the engine when cold priming screw 40 is turned until valve 37 is opened and the engine is turned over, either by hand or any desired way. This will supply a quantity of air through the passageway 48 and a comparatively large quantity of gasolene, which acts in a certain sense as a priming, so that the engine will start immediately. As soon as the motor starts the priming screw 40 is moved back to its former position, but when lever 53 goes back to its former position the action of the turning motor will keep the valve 37 open. As the engine increases in speed the speed of the air through the venturi or choker 10 will of 'course increase, but the flow of gasolene will not be increased as the action of bell 17 will cause the incoming air to produce an eddy current at the discharge end of the jet 12 so as to keep the flow constant as the volume of air is kept constant so that there will be a uniform mixture regardless of the speed of the engine. Vhen the device is used on an airplane and the airplane has ascended to a high altitude the rarefication of air is such as to cause the mixture to be too rich, and to make the mixture poorer member 40 is turned somewhat so that the rarefication or suction provided by the engine will be communicated to passageway 23. This will reduce the amount of gasolene passing from the jet 12 by reason of the retarding effect caused by a suction on the gasolene in passageway 23 which will balance to a limited extent the suction on valve 15. When using the carbureter on an airplane the supply tank may be somewhat below or above the carbureter and yet properly supply gasolene by reason of the suction produced by the engine.

In Figs. 4 and 5 will be seen a double carbureter embodying the invention shown in Fig. 1, in which the shaft 54 connects the butterfly valves of both the carbureter sections 55 and 56 whereby they will be actuated together. In airplanes double carbureters, or two connected carbureters are now commonly used and by combining the structure shown in Fig. 1 into one complete combined or double carbureter as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 a simple effective structure is produced answering the requirements of the present day airplane. In this form of carbureter the operating levers 53 are connected by a bar 57 which may extend to any convenient point whereby the priming screws 40 are simultaneously operated for each carbureter section.

What I claim is:

1. A carbureter comprising a casing having a skirt, and a bar extending transversely of the skirt, said bar having a fuel inlet and a feed chamber and provided with a main jet extending into the casing and with a downwardly extending tubular projection into which the inlet opens, an auxiliary jet opening into the feed chamber and tubular projection, a filtering device secured to the auxiliary jet and extending into the tubular projection, a closure for the tubular projection, a spring pressed bell in the casing above the main jet and carrying a needle valve working in said jet, and a butteriy valve in the casing. 2. A carbureter, comprising a casing having a choker and provided with a throat, a skirt and a bar extending transversely of the skirt, said bar having a fuel inlet and a feed chamber and provided with a main jet extending into the casing slightly above the smallest section of the choker, an auxiliary jet in communication with the inlet, and projecting into the feed chamber, a spring pressed bell in the casing above the main jet and carrying a needle valve extending into said jet, and a butter-fly valve in the throat of the casing.

GASPARE MEZZATESTA. 

